Life-preserving apparatus.



.G. A. 'ZETTERBERG. LIFE PBESEBVING APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOHI'I-LED 14B.27, 1908.

Patented 0011.20, 1908.

0a., WASHINGTON, n. c.

CARL AGUST ZETTERBERG, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

LIFE-PRESERVING- APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed March 27, 1908. Serial No. 423,690.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL Aonsr Zn'r'rnn- BERG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State ofMinnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-PreservingApparatus, of which the following is a speciiication.

The invention relates to an improvement in life preserving apparatus andis directed particularly to a combined life preserver and swimmingmachine, whereby the user can easily support himself in the water and atthe same time propel himself in any clesired direction.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a suitablefloat which may be quickly and conveniently secured to the person, andwhich is constructed to permit propulsion when in the water, thepropelling apparatus being within convenient reach of the user and beingadapted for operation at any desired speed.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a lOIlgltllClllltIl section through an apparatus constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section throughthe same.

Referring particularly to the drawings, wherein is illustrated thepreferred embodiment of details of the present invention, my improvedlife preserving apparatus comprises a base 1 of concavo convex shape incross section and of substantial length. This base, which is preferablyof wood or other light material, supports a casing 2, preferably oflight metal, as aluminum. The casing is of approximately boat-like formin longitudinal and transverse section, and is arranged to support theoperating parts, as will presently appear.

Depending from the base 1 adjacent each end thereof are a series ofparallel frames 3, formed at their lower ends to provide bearings 4; ineach pair of which is mounted a propeller shaft 5. The shafts 5 extendin opposite directions through the end walls of the casing 2, and areprovided beyond said end walls with propellers 6, the detailedconstruction of which is immaterial so far as the present invention isconcerned. A hanger frame 7 also depends from the base 1 within thecasing and supports a drive shaft 8 arranged at right angles to thepropeller shafts and having fixed thereon a bevel gear 9, arranged tomesh with bevel gears 10 upon the ends of the respective propellershafts, it being understood that said propeller shafts are arranged inalinement longitudinally of the casing 1 so that the gears 10 of saidshafts mesh with the drive gear 9 at diametrically opposite points onsaid gear. The drive shaft 8 depends through the bottom of the casing 52and is provided with an operating handle 11, whereby the propellershafts may be 'conveniently driven. A

To the side edges of the base 1 are se cured body straps 12, which aresecured at one end to the base and are adapted for ad justableconnection with the opposite edge of the base, as through the medium ofcon necting screws 13. Body straps, of which there. are preferably two,are designed to encircle the body of the user, and these straps arepreferably elastic to insure a snug fit under all conditions.

The upper side of the base 1 is preferably covered by a cork section 14,which section is of greater length and width than the base. The corksection is designed primarily to render the apparatus suiiicientlybuoyant to support the wearer, and, therefore, it is obvious that saidsection 1 1 may be replaced if desired by any other buoyant section, asfor example an inflexible section or the like. The straps 12 are alsosecured. in relative position and the buoyancy of the apparatus as awhole is further increased by sections 15 of cork, which connect therespective straps at points remote from their connec tion with thebase 1. In use when the wearer having adjusted the straps 12 to snuglyfit the body will secure the apparatus upon his body with the head andfeet extending beyond the respective ends of the buoyant section. Inthis position the apparatus is efi'ective in supporting the user in thewater and the operating handle 11 is within convenient reach of thewearer so that he may by the use of said handle propel himself in anydesired direction.

It is, of course, to be understood that the material of which theapparatus is to be constructed is to be selected with particular regardfor its buoyant qualities, those parts which of necessity must beconstructed of metal being of that character unaffected by immersion inwater.

Having thus described the invention what i is claimed as new, is

1. A life preserving apparatus including a base, an inclosed casingdepending therefrom, propeller shafts supported within the casing, meansfor operating said shafts, propellers carried by said shafts beyond thecasing, body engaging straps projecting from the base, and buoyantsections connecting the straps beyond their connections with the base.

2. A life preserving apparatus including a base, an inclosed casingdepending therefrom, propeller shafts supported within the casing, meansfor operating said shafts, propellers carried by said shafts beyond thecasing, body engaging straps projecting from the base, and cork sectionsconnecting the respective straps beyond their connections with the base.

3. A life preserving apparatus comprising a base of concavo convex shapein cross section, a buoyant strip secured to the base, an inclosedcasing depending therefrom, propeller shafts supported within thecasing, means for operating said shafts, propellers carried by saidshafts beyond the casing, body engaging straps projecting from the base,and buoyant sections connecting the straps beyond their connections Withthe base.

i. A life preserving apparatus including a base of concavo convex shapein cross section, a buoyant strip secured to the base and conformingthereto in sectional contour, an inclosed casing depending therefrom,propeller shafts supported within the casing, means for operating saidshafts, propellers carried by said. shafts beyond the casin bodyengaging straps projecting from the base, and buoyant sectionsconnecting the straps beyond their connections with the base.

A life preserving apparatus including a base of concavo convex shape incross sec- CARL AGUST ZETTERBERG.

Witnesses P. Gno. HANSON, JACOB PALEEN.

